Refrigerator-car.



G. E. KNEPPER.

. REFRIGERATOR GAR.

APPLICATION FILED 1:20.15, 1911.

Patented Aug. 27, 1912.

L T E E H c n on T B E H s no [N VEN T OR WITNESSES M ml E Q E z 0 E GWg omen STATES PAT NT OFFICE.

GEORGE. E. KNEPPER, or ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA.

REFRIGERATORFCARQ Specification of Letters Patent a Application filedDecember 15, 1911. Serial No. 665,916. I

' To all whom it may-concern:

Be it .known that I, Gnonon E. KNEPPER,

- The primary object of this invention is to provide improved meanswhereby refrigeration is uniformly maintained throughout the car at amuch less costthan present refrigeration facilities can offer.

2 With this end in view the inventioncontemplates a refrigeratingdevice, consisting essentially of the novel arrangement of combined iceand brine tanks used in piped relation with a system of absorption coilsor radiators.

Another object of the deviceis to provide improved means for retainingthe brine in the brine tanks, and absorption coils or radiators, thusobviating the necessity of providing additional tanks for the collectionand storage of salt water drippings to be drawn oil at terminal or otherpoints.

Another object of this device is to provide means whereby the fullcooling value of the ice placed in the ice tanks can readily beobtained, since the gradual melting of the ice, forming a freezingmixture with the brine circulates through the absorption coils, thusabsorbing the heat from the car asthe 40 circulation continues, due .toa difference in temperatures of the top and the bottom of the ice tanks.Another object of this device is to provide means for regulatin the flowof brine through the absorption coils, thus providing in a verypractical way, means whereby various degrees of temperature can readilybe obtained. 1 4

A further object of this device is to pro- 9 vid'e means whereby the.car can readily be heated by forcing hot water, or steam,

through the coils or radiators, thus provid' ing for the safe transortation of perishable commodities during t e winter months.

. With these and many other objects in view, which will be more readilyapparent,

as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consistsin the novel 'construction, combination and arrangement of parts, aswill be hereinafter more fully illustrated, pointed out and claimed. IIt Wlll be readily understood that this invention is naturallysusceptible to a wide range of structural modification, withoutdeparting from the scope or spirit of the invention, but a preferred andthoroughly practical embodiment thereof is shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which,

F1 ure 1, isa cross-sectional view of a car s owingthe present inventioninstalled -therein. ,F1g.'2, is a;"sect-ional view of the car taken onthe line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3, we sectional view taken on the line 3-3of Fig. 1. Fi 4,'is a sectional view of the valve used or drawing offand cleaning out .the brine, or ice tank, wlfen such act-ion isnecessary. Fig. 5, is .a front elevational view of the valve shown inFig. 4.

Patented Aug. 27, 1912.

Like reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral figures of the drawings.

In carrying out the present invention no material change in the car iscontemplated, but instead of the usual means employed for refrigerationthere is preferably provided a plurality of ice receptacles, or tanks,designatedby'the numeral 10. These tanks are preferably rectangular atthe base 11, with diverging sides'which terminate at the top 12 of thecarfas clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings. To providefor the introduction of ice, into the ice tank, there is placed anopening 13 adapted to be closed by a hatch-way 14. In order to fill .thetank 10, the cover or hatch-way 14, is removed and ice is thrown in onthe inclined'surface 15 of the tank, from whence it readily slides downfirst filling the rectangul'ar bottom portion 11. 'At this time anon-freezing liquid called brine is introduced and the ice tank filledwith ice.

preferably introduced, in order to facilitate refrigeration. I prefer toprovide the insid-a wall 16, of the tank 10, with a plurality of screencovered 'ngs, the lower one 17 of which communicates, through pipeconmotions, with the bottom portion of a rldiator, designated in itsentirety by the numeral 19 while the u per'openmg communicates througha. similar pipe connection When filling the tanks the first time, brinein sufiicient quantity to fill the radiators is 20, with the top. .ofthe radiator.

top of the car,

Y tions 21, and,

by preference, radiator which of pipe 23, which isprovided with acut-outvalve 24, adapted to be controlled from thethrough the-medium 'of thehandle 25, when the valve 24 is'closed {and the tanks filled with i eand brine, as in tended, the brine rises through pipes to the top 26 ofan emergency over-flow'pipe 27, through which it can escape to the bottom of the car C and down the spout c to the tra 28, as shown in Fig. 3of the draw: -I

ings, without the egress of air. If the valve 24 is open, the brine willrise to the top 29 of the absorption coils, or radiators, and pass outthrough pipes 30, to the trap 28; The'tank compartments 31, arepreferably provided with-a strong lattice protection 32,- while theopenings 33 therein are filled with current deflecting shields 34, whichserve to deflect rising. currents of 'arm' air, downward along. the icetank,

.- thus cooling the same ina very efiicient and practical hinged door35, which 35 manner. At' the top of the lattice protection there ispreferably located a may be swung open, if desired, after filling theice. receptacles; and also used as a means of ventilation when noiceis,used. p g Thebottom of the tank 36 is provided with anoutlet valve37, which is adapted to e screwed into a flanged threaded collar 38,attached tothe side 39 of the tank. The said valve 37 is' pro vided onits head por tion with ajrectangular projecting stud 40 that may be usedin connection with a key, wrench, or other similar tool forreciprocating the stem of the valve withimthe threaded collar 38. Thestem of the valve 37, is provided with an oblong. opening 41,

' through which the brine in the tankis afforded means of escape whenthe stem is' reciprocated by int HIS above mentioned. The slot, oropening, 41, affords a very eflicient means of protecting the workman,or operator, from the direct discharge of brine, as the case would be ifthe slot, or opening, was not provided. 1

:Inoperating this refrigerating device may be described as follows: Iceanu brine are placed in the tank, as previously "described, and thehatch-ways closed. The warm air from the interior of the car comes indlrect contact with the absorption coils, the'cold brine in theradiators, or coils, absorbing the heat in the car, Further, as the icemelts, thus providing in a very pratti a I said V communication cal-way,-more' brihe for theabsorption coils, or radiators, radiators, 'andwill'so continue until the radiators are full, at which time thetemperature in the top .of the radiators is higher than that'inthe-bottom of the radiators, due

to the warm air of .thevinterior of the car coming in contact with thecold radiators, or absorption coilsi From this itrvill be obvious that acirculation oflbrine will be maintained between the top and the,bottomof the same gradually rises in the I the radiators, through the tank,due-to a difi'erence in temperatures. It will also be obviousthat themoisture -in th'ecar will be collected on the radiators, thus'maintaining dry air throughout the interior of the car. Having thusdescribed my invention, and believing that the same can readily beunderstood without further elaboration, what claim as new-and desire tosecure by Let- .ters Patent is:

1. A refrigerating device for cars comprising a tank provided with inletopenmgs, and having two oppositely disposed compartments, saidcompartments forming a housing therebetween, radiating coils incommunication with said compartments and. located in the housing formedthereby, and a valve 1device for emptying the contents of tan 2. Arefrigerating device for cars com-' prising a tank provided with inletopenings and having two oppositely disposed com:

partments, said compartments forming ahousing therebetween, radiatingcoils in with said compartments and housing formed thereby, an overflowdevice in communication with the radiating coils, and a valve device foremptying the contents of said tank.

3. A refrigerating device for cars comprising a tank provided with inletopenings located in the.

and having two oppositely disposed com partments, said compartmentsforming a housing therebetween, radiating coils in communication withsaid compartments and located in the housing formed thereby, saidradiating coils having upper and lower can nections with each.

compartment, means shielding thopening of each connection to preventclogging thereof, an over-flow de Vice in communication with theradiating coil, means for lowering the level of the brine in the tank,and a valve for empt the entire contents of the tank and coils.

4. A refrigerating device for cars .comprovided with inlet openingsprising a tank and having two oppositely disposed compartments saidcompartments forming a housing therebetween, radiating coils incommunication with said compartments and lbc'ated in the housing formedthereby, a

casing surrounding said tank and coils provided with openings: rents tothe refrigerated surfaces,.:an overfor admitting air cur.

flow pipe in communication with, the coils, brine circulatingconnections in communisaid pipe extending downwardly and discation withthe interior of the tank. charging on the floor of the car, a draw-ofi'r 6. In a refrigerator car, the combination connectionalso incommunication with the with the'car body, of a brine tank, ahouscoi1s,'said connection serving to reduce the ing arranged ithin thebrine tank, and a level of brine below the point where the radiatorarranged within the housing and overflow pipe connects with the coils, ahaving top and bottom brine circulating valve located in the draw-offconnection, a connections with the opposite walls of the trap atthe endof said draw-off connection housing and in communication with the inanda valve for emptying the contents of teri'or of the tank.

the tank. In testimony whereof I atfix my signature 5. In 'arefrigerator car, the comblnation in presence of two witnesses.

with the car body, of a' brine tank, a hous- GEORGE E. KNEPPER.

ing arranged inside of the tank, and a ra- Witnesses: diator arrangedinside of the housing, said ADAM LEAKE,

radiator having separate top and bottom GEO. O. DANIELS- Copies 0! thispatient may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing theflommission r of Zatenti,

Washington, I. 0.

